Anthem of the Angels
by Final Heir
Summary: A Colab story done between me and Torchix  Set during the Auracain Legacy story, a beloved friend and ally falls ill and faces their possible demise. Everyone one of her friend takes it hard, but none more than her oldest friend. Will she survive? or die?


_**Final Heir: Good day everyone, today I bring you a Songfic Collab Story!**_

_**Torchix: Yup, here we're working together on a single story based around the song Anthem of the Angels done by Breaking Benjamin**_

_**Final Heir: A great song**_

_**Torchix: Yup!**_

_**Final Heir: Now, this story is based in the time and run of Auracian Legacy, so that's the reason why I published the story, and Torchix didn't**_

_**Torchix: Right, now enjoy the story everyone, I hope we did good with this~**_

_**Final Heir: I'm sure that we did! Enjoy everyone!**_

_**It's a calm cloudy day as we rejoin our heroes during the preparation of one of the Flower Princesses fabulous concerts. Going as any other day would, the concert went perfectly with Nathen ending it singing a song of his own choice.**_

_White walls surround us  
>No light will touch your face again<br>Rain taps the window  
>As we sleep among the dead <em>

_Days go on forever  
>But I have not left your side<br>We can chase the dark together  
>If you go then so will I <em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye <em>

_Cold light above us  
>Hope fills the heart<br>And fades away  
>Skin white as winter<br>As the sky returns to grey _

_Days go on forever  
>But I have not left your side<br>We can chase the dark together  
>If you go then so will I <em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<br>I keep holding onto you  
>But I can't bring you back to life<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>Then say the last goodbye <em>

_You're dead alive  
>You're dead alive<br>You're dead alive  
>You're dead alive<em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<br>I keep holding onto you  
>But I can't bring you back to life<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<em>

"_Damn I'm good,_" Nathen said with a chuckle as he walked off the stage while Wisteria ran back up.

"Thank you everyone! We hope that you all enjoyed this presentation today!" Wisteria said as the stage went dim and she ran back to the group. "This concert was great!"

"They're always great, aren't they?" Vahn said.

"Yup!" Wisteria said happily.

"_Now if only it had rained…_" Nathen said to himself with a yawn as he looked around trying to find his partner author. "_Where did Ashmore get off to?_" Nathen did a quick once over with his aura before finding her at the Pokémon Center. "There she is."

"What was that Nathen?" Karina asked looking to her guardian.

"Nothing princess, I'm going to check on Gemma." Nathen said as he started off. As Nathen made his way there, the others just talked amongst themselves.

_(Hibiscus City – Pokémon Center – Author's Room – 8:35 PM)_

Within the room, Gemma sits on her bed shaking badly, her illness and the transformation reaching its peak. Within a few minutes Nathen comes up to the room, but when he tries to enter he finds the door locked.

"Gemma, are you in there?" Nathen asked knocking on the door a few times.

"_Fuck!_" Gemma cursed to herself trying to calm down by taking a few pain meds and leveling herself out making the shaking stop mostly. "Yeah I'm in here…"

"Can I come in? The doors locked." Nathen asked.

"I'd prefer to be alone for a little while…" Gemma said with a sigh.

"Gemma is everything okay?" Nathen asked.

"I'm fine alright! Just leave me alone!" Gemma snapped much to her dismay as the shaking started back up.

Nathen was slightly taken back by this, Gem rarely ever snapped at him. "Alright… I'll check back later…" Nathen said calmly walking away.

"Damnit… Why, why does this have to happen to me?" Gem muttered as she started to cry from the emotion and the pain.

"_Something's definitely wrong…_" Nathen said with a sigh as he walks out to the lobby.

Over the next few days, whenever Nathen tried to get a moment with Gem, he got the same reaction from her. It also seemed like whenever the two were about to meet, Gem would turn and go in a direction away from Nathen. While Gem was fighting her emotions and the transformation's illness, Nathen was dealing with his own problems. TUA incidents had been spawning up and he's been forced to go and handle each one. Everything was playing heavily on each other's nerves. It wasn't long before Nathen decided to confront Gem and get some answers from her.

_(3 days later – Hibiscus City – Pokémon Center Lobby – Hidden Corner – 6:30 PM)_

"Damnit, Gem! Stop it! I can tell when I'm being avoided by someone you know, especially when that someone barely ever wanted to leave my side before!" Nathen said in a calm, yet stern, tone as he looked Gemma straight in the eye, one hand holding her head in place facing him, the other gripping her shoulder. Gem's shaking had become more obvious now, his touch not only making him able to feel it but intensifying it due to panic and embarrassment. A light pink tinge had stained her pale cheeks, highlighting her freckles and clashing with her red eyes. The blue eyed gaze of the taller teen did not break, even as he registered her shaking, though it did grow more concerned.

"I… I'm n-not avoiding you… I…" Gem couldn't come up with an excuse, she knew she had been making it too obvious; she was surprised she'd even gone this long without him confronting her, she couldn't hide it anymore. She was busted.

But that didn't mean she was going to give up anyway.

"You're what, Gem? Gemma, please, tell me what's wrong. What've have I done that's hurt your feelings this time? I didn't mean to, whatever it was!" Nathen said, voice gaining a slightly frantic tone, though Gem dismissed that as her imagination.

She was half stunned; he _actually _thought _he_ was to blame for whatever was wrong? She had considered that that could be one path of thought he could follow, but it made no sense. He'd been nothing but helpful! Why would he ever assume that? "Wh-What, y-you haven't done shit wrong! H-How could you even th-think that?-!" She exclaimed, shaking intensifying from the jump in emotion agitating her fragile internal balance.

"What else am I supposed to think when you're ignoring me and won't tell me what's wrong!-? Gem… please… c'mon…" The worry in his voice grew, the hand under her chin slowly moving to gently stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers, making her blush more her shaking growing, "You… You're shaking… are you scared of me…?"

"No!"

"Nervous?"

"N-not exactly…"

"…In pain?"

"Nathen, pl-please, forget it!" She pleaded, before her eyes suddenly focused on something behind the author, everything around her falling silent, not hearing Nathen's stern tone saying he would not just forget it, "N-Nathen, b-behind you! O-Oh shit!"

"I'm not going to fall for that, Gemma! I am _not_ going to drop this!" The seventeen year old continued, stroking her cheek, but eyes still stern. Gem tensed, scarlet eyes focusing on the people behind them, who – with a smirk – had formed a large ball of aura energy, aiming at Nathen's back. Gem was frozen; she should've known that if any of them decided to attack Nathen, they'd do it when she was around now that she had been spotted by the Existence agents back in Harmonic. She hadn't been there for a while, but now she was with him, alone, again… They would be able to take her to Existence, get more credit from them and thus more enhancements for agents. But… how hadn't Nathen sensed them?

Thinking as fast as she could, she pulled a move that Nathen had pulled to save her before. By using all her remaining energy she managed to shove Nathen to the floor behind her, stunning him and making him grunt. She then stood dead in the path of the attack, which was now at full strength and glowing brightly, and put herself into a position to brace for the pain. It's not like she wasn't in agony already, this would hardly make any difference at all.

"No! Gem you _idiot_!" Nathen shouted as he shoved Gem away, only a second after the attack was fired, but she was still hit hard by the majority of the brunt force of the attack, by Nathen's one side was also hit hard. Coughing roughly as he was winded by the collision with the floor, Nathen forced himself back up to his feet, using his good side to fire off a large blast, knocking the agents out. Using more energy, he trapped then transported them away, sighing in relief when they were gone. That is, until he heard the coughs, whimpers and small cries of pain from the girl writhing on the floor behind him. Hastily he healed his injured side, his rush meaning the fix wasn't quite perfect, but he didn't care. He quickly dropped to his knees by Gem, pulling her to lean against him.

Only now did he truly feel how severe her shaking was, only now did he notice just how pale and sickly the girl had become, how full her eyes were. And, as he closed his eyes to check her aura, he finally saw the full change and the remaining damage in her chest. But still, he only believed it to be a result of the aura based attack she had just taken for him.

"Gem… You… You… Oh you idiot! You didn't have to fucking take that hit! Oh fuck… it-it caused outer damage and aura damage!" He observed the growing bruising over her arms, one side of her face and after slightly lifting her shirt he could see them on her stomach, she'd hit her head and looked like she'd possibly fractured her ribs due to extra swelling. The attack would nearly for certain have been fatal if she had taken the total force.

"Th-The… a-aura d-damage… is-…!" Before she could finish her sentence, she coughed hard, shaking more. Nathen quickly tried to calm her with a 'shhhhh', and then laid her down on the floor again.

"I-I'll need to do restoration from your chest o-outwards, okay…? I can fix all of this… e-easily…" He rubbed her hand, and Gem nearly smiled, but instead tears welled up and fell as she coughed again. She wasn't meant to make him worried about anything, whether it was her aura issues, or anything else – like the move she just pulled. She then suddenly felt herself flare deep red, worries about worrying him near forgotten for a moment as he tried to open her shirt, eyes giving him a concerned and confused look, "S-Sorry… I can't have anything blocking the path of the aura… especially when doing an actual aura fix…" Nathen said as calmly as he could, kissing her forehead, placing both hands over her sternum. Gem's cheeks grew a deeper red, but she allowed him. Maybe it wasn't so bad, getting help. She was in so much pain, she may have wished him not to find out, but the more she felt of the rising agony the more she prayed it to stop or to be healed. So… letting him heal her now he knew couldn't be a bad thing…

Right?

Nathen took a breath; let his eyes glow with his bright, strong aura, his hands obtaining the same essence. The aura radiated over her chest and sank into her body, slowly staring to heal up the bruising. For a minute, Gem began to feel relief from the newest pain, letting her slightly relax back, eyes lightening slightly. Nathen sighed in relief, pumping more healing aura into her, watching her bruises fade, feeling the energy focus more on her damaged aura.

That was when things changed.

In almost an instant, Gem had suddenly tensed with a sharp gasp, her heart skipping a beat as a new wave of pain shot through her, she doubled over and coughed vehemently, a large lump of blood covered mucus spat out of her mouth, followed by several other coughs with the same result. Nathen jumped, this was not an expected reaction.

"G-Gem?-!" This shouldn't be happening! No heal should cause this!

She began to shake on a violent level, coughing growing rougher, glasses falling from her face and smashing on the floor, shattering into hundreds of pieces. In his panic, all logical thought about his next move was flung out of the window, and pulling her so her back was against his chest, he kissed her forehead as she continued to shake viciously, eyes dulled. Her lips were pale and stained with some blood, and she looked lost without the black frames around her eyes. Placing a pair of clasped hands – tight to the point of white knuckles – over her chest, he shot a burst of aura through her again.

Her symptoms stopped again for a moment, making the boy relax, before she coughed even harder than before, ejecting an unhealthy amount of mucus, eyes drooping as they glazed over and went completely out of focus.

"Gem…?-! Oh fuck! Gemma?-!" He shook her, receiving nothing but a few grunts in response as her eyes close, and the movement of her chest grew shallow. She was totally out. No response. Nathen had never felt this scared, at least not for a long time. He didn't have a clue what had happened. How could a simple heal…?

He was quickly aware of how bad she was getting already, panicking more and scooping the sandy haired girl up, holding her quivering form against his chest, taking off from the clearing as fast as his Arcanine DNA allowed.

"He's hardly left that room since we got here…" Karina said, sitting outside the hospital room that Gem was resting in, arms crossed on top of her flat knees, leaning over, sighing. Vahn paced back and forth three steps, sighing, shaking his head.

"It can't be healthy to spend so much time in a room… how many times has he come out?" The black haired boy asked, not looking at any of the group.

"Maximum of twice a day…" Wisteria said from her position curled in a ball on the chair she was sat on, "But mostly once… he's only come out twice a day once…" Spike was stood behind her, hands on the back of the chair; Lily was sat with one knee up on the chair beside her.

"Why's he even making such a big fuss over big mouth? Heck it's probably nowhere near as bad as it looks, this is freaking Gem, and she exaggerates _everything_. Chances are she's being an attention whore," Trayton, who was leant right by the door, said whilst rolling his eyes, scoffing lightly. A loud growl was heard from inside the room, and Trayton immediately shuffled a bit further away from the door, closer to Amber who was sat on the floor beside him. Amber shook her head with a sigh, smacking his leg.

"Don't piss him off right now Trayton, he's obviously concerned… It's sweet," The coordinator said, looking up at him. Trayton sighed.

"He is acting very, very off though… many people have been injured along this journey… kidnapped, hurt, etcetera… He hasn't been like this," Vahn said with a sigh, "Guess it's because he thinks it's at his hand…"

"If what he said is true, it is… well… partly. He tried to heal her and it went wrong…" Spike said, shrugging a little.

"That still confuses me… I didn't think it was easy for heals to go wrong… and Nathen is pretty damn experienced… There has to be something more to this…" Vahn said. Karina reached and patted his arm, giving him a soft look.

"Don't think too much into it… whatever it is, Nathen will figure it out and fix Gem up," She said, receiving a nod off the boy.

"I still say Gem's faking it and being an attention whore… Probably pining for his attention specifically… She probably has the hots for him," Trayton said, hearing the growl once again, but louder and more menacing this time. Trayton backed away more, gulping quietly to himself, "I'm… gonna shut up…"

_(Inside the room)_

Gem's condition looked no better, if anything she looked worse. Her skin was whiter than snow, and it clung more tightly to her bones than it should, it started to show them through the thin skin. It wasn't too extreme yet, she wasn't a skeleton. Nathen had his hand wrapped around one of her smaller, frailer hands, rubbing it softly, looking at her dull face, void of expression spare an occasional twitch from pain. He still didn't know how to stop her hurting, he didn't want to risk pumping her full of too many drugs, and aura was a no go. He was lost. He'd never seen this before.

"Please wake up… I'm so scared Gemma… please… c'mon my little wolf… you're strong…" There was a more eerie silence in the room than before he had spoken as the words faded, the awaited response never coming. Nathen's grip tightened on her hand, before he quickly let it go and directed the growing anger at the wall, throwing a hard punch and making the bricks shake, though it was against an outer wall so no one felt it. He rested his head against the wall, gritting his teeth hard and shaking, then catching some of what was being said outside.

"…he's only come out twice a day once…"

"Why's he even making such a big fuss over big mouth? Heck it's probably nowhere near as bad as it looks, this is freaking Gem, and she exaggerates _everything_. Chances are she's being an attention whore."

Nathen let a loud growl rumble up from his chest, glaring at the door. He heard Trayton's shuffling away and just sighed.

"_How could this happen… how could I have messed up so badly…_" Nathen said to himself with a sigh as he looked over at Gem from where he was standing. The blank lifeless white walls not helping the mood of the room, the storm raging outside hadn't done him any good either.

Nathen had never been much of a spiritual person, but the sound of a roaring storm always did his heart good because he knew the world was restoring itself, but this storm… it was more like crying, the feeling of sadness and mourn strong with each thunder clap.

"_This has to be the biggest mistake of my life… I should never have confronted her…_" The room remained silent, the only noises that could be heard was the thunder and the chatter of Nathen's friends outside. "_But none of this makes sense…I was doing the process perfectly… why did it fail? She should be as healthy as a newborn right now…_" Letting out a sigh Nathen walked over and sat down against the door to the room looking at Gem. "_I may not have been what caused her shaking; but I know I did this… It's all my fault…_"

It wouldn't be for a few more hours until Nathen finally left the room for a few minutes, but before locking down Gem's room.

_(Hospital Cafeteria)_

In this quiet and dark room, Nathen sits quietly looking at a few documents on his computer. While hoping to be alone, Karina decided to come and get some information.

"Um… Nathen…" Karina said quietly walking up to her guardian.

Hearing the princess, Nathen quickly tried to change his attitude so that he wouldn't be forced into a pointless conversation. "Oh, hey princess, what's wrong?"

"Nothing right now, but we're worried about you, you've been staying with Gemma sense she was admitted here. And you rarely leave her side."

"Please Karina… just leave it be, I have enough on my mind and I don't need to reflect on this." Nathen said with a sigh.

"Alright Nathen, just please don't blame yourself for this, everything will be fine, and… try and take care of yourself…" Karina gave Nathen a warm smile while placing her hand on his and held tightly onto it.

"Thank you Karina," Nathen said with a sigh. "Karina, can you call everyone here?"

"Of course, do you need to tell us something?" Karina asked.

"Just have everyone come here first please," Nathen said calmly.

"Okay Nathen," Karina said as she connected her aura to the others. "_Everyone, can you all please come to the cafeteria._" It took only a few minutes for the others to get to the cafeteria and gather around Nathen.

"Alright, I'm not sure how long Gemma will need to be here… And I'm not going to leave her here… so I want the rest of you to leave and go about your journeys naturally" Nathen said calmly looking to everyone.

"But why, shouldn't we all be here for Gem?" Amber asked.

"You don't have to, I don't want to hold you all back because of my own mistake, so please, just go and follow your goals, when Gemma's better… we'll catch up…" Nathen said with a sigh.

"What a load of crap!" Vahn said.

"What was that Sire?" Nathen growled jumping to his feet.

"We're not leaving, we don't care if we're held back a bit, we'll just train and get better for later. Besides, Gem's been a friend to all of us; we can't just leave her when she's like this. She'd do the same for us if she could." Vahn said calmly stilling his gaze at Nathen.

"Fine, just don't come crying to me if you miss anything important." Nathen said holding his slight aggression as he walked away from the group and back to Gem's room.

The main group of Nathen's charges then went about what they had been doing. Sticking to what Vahn had said and not leaving the cities area.

As time moved on at a rather slow pace, things started to look dull and bleak, Gemma had yet to awaken, and the storm held strong constantly. Nathen even limited himself to only leaving once a day.

Things were growing increasingly gloomy and hopeless around the hospital, while Nathen secluded himself in the small hospital room, depriving himself of nourishment and relaxation, the others decided to perfect their own skills. In all, things seemed like everything was just getting worse. The storm hadn't let up, but only got worse. After several close calls from signs of life from Gemma, Nathen continued to start losing hope in her recovery, but he never left her side.

It wasn't very long before someone tried to knock so sense into Nathen… Vahn happened to be the first to try.

"Nathen, come on you idiot! You have to eat more than once a day, this isn't doing your health any good, I bet!" Vahn said, banging on the room door, which Nathen had locked to keep the others out, sighing when he just got a growl in response, "C'mon, Gem wouldn't want you fussing over her…" Maybe it wasn't the best idea to pull that card…

"Oh shut UP Sire!" Nathen growled from the room, "Gem _never_ wanted what was best for her! She hates having to get help because it makes her feel weak and a burden, but she just doesn't realize it doesn't make her either of those things! I am not going to let her die because of me, I'm going to find out what the healing did, and find out some way to fix it! Now go the fuck away!"

"Nathen, calm down! You're seriously just going to make yourself ill and that you know she definitely wouldn't want!" Vahn continued, though the more he said the more it made Nathen agitated, and his growl got louder, "Nathen, seriously, come on! She isn't going to go anywhere if you leave her for a little to have some rest and food!"

"I can't risk missing her getting worse or waking up! Go away! I don't care if she wouldn't want me to get ill, she's never cared about if I would be worried if whatever was wrong with her got worse and she wouldn't tell me, so why should I?-! I'm going to fix this! I am not leaving this room!"

Vahn gave a sigh and walked away from the room, giving up on getting the author to leave the authoress alone. He walked back to the main group, all of which who looked up, and gave them a sigh and shake of his head. Trayton was nearly instantly standing, making those around him jump.

"What's with you now? Trying to beat him up isn't going to work in your favor, idiot," Spike said, looking at him. Trayton gave him a look and a sarcastic laugh.

"Oh ha ha, like I'd really try that, I don't have a death wish!" He retorted.

"You don't? Oh, after the attention whore comments, I'd say you do," Vahn bit back, making Trayton just sigh and roll his eyes.

"Contrary to popular belief, I don't totally despise Gem. I'd just rather she wasn't so annoying. Look, I said those comments because even that'd be better than what she's like now, I'd rather she was an attention seeker trying to get in someone's pants by worrying them then making a recovery suddenly than someone about to die."

"…You're a strange guy, you know that?" Amber said with a small smile and sigh, "What're you going to do then?"

"Try what Vahn did."

"What makes you think he'll listen to you if he wouldn't listen to Vahn?" Karina asked, looking up at Trayton from her sitting position. Trayton sighed.

"Nothing, but anything is worth a try," The red haired boy said, walking from the room they were gathered in and headed to the hospital room, knocking on the door.

"Go away, Vahn," Nathen groaned, voice slightly muffled by the door.

"It's not Vahn… its Trayton," The boy said, immediately hearing a snarl, "Hey, calm it! I'm not here to insult her or anything!"

"You're not getting me to come out of this room! Go away! Just give it up, all of you! Sending you was the worst idea yet!" The seventeen year old growled. Trayton sighed, shaking his head.

"Nathen, come on, this is ridiculous!"

"T-Tell him… t-to-to g-g-go a-a-away… pl-plea-please…" A weak voice then croaked out from behind Nathen, making both Nathen and Trayton jump. Nathen quickly turned to face Gemma, eyes widening seeing she was trying to sit herself up, but failing to do so because of the pain and shaking. The elder rushed to her side and helped her into a sitting position, resting her against his side, feeling her shaking getting worse than it was when she was unconscious, "N-Nath… en…"

"You're awake… oh thank god you're awake…" Nathen sighed, holding her shaking form close to him, "Trayton, bugger off and tell the others! Now!"

"I'm going I'm going!" Trayton said, running off to the others. He sighed as he did so, not liking going through the white walls. He hated hospitals. He hated them so much.

"N-Nathen… I-I… y-you… wh-where…?" Gem gave weak coughs after speaking, Nathen relieved that they weren't as rough as they had been, though she was clearly still in pain.

"A-A hospital… intensive care… m-my heal… it… it…" He cut himself off and just held her closer, "Y-You've been unconscious for days…" Gemma looked up at him, eyes still dulled, but having just a little more light to them now she was seeing him and being held close like she was. Nathen bit his lip hard, holding her even closer and nuzzling into her hair, "I-I'm so sorry…"

"N-Nathen…"

"I… Sh-Shouldn't h-have confronted you…"

"N-Nathen…"

"I…"

"N-Nathen f-for f-fuck's sake j-just l-listen t-to m-…" Before she could finish she once again burst into a fit of coughs, doubling over his arm and expelling a chunk of mucus, blood coming up with it. Nathen panicked once more, helping her to steady herself and clean the mucus away. She continued to shake, whimpering and hiding against him, tearing up, gripping his shirt, unable to force herself to tell him what she was going to. Nathen stroked her back, kissing her hair, rocking her lightly.

They sat in silence for a long time, him feeling Gemma jump in his arms whenever a loud crash of thunder burst from the scarred sky, or whenever a shot of lightning collided with the ground somewhere miles away, sending flashes of light through the darkened sky. He knew she hated storms, and if even he – someone who usually loved storms of this sort – was unnerved by the feeling it gave him, he knew that she must be in utter terror right now. Softly he hummed to her, stroking her back and lightly playing with her hair.

"…I… N-Nathen… I… w-want you to… let me… d-die…"

Nathen tensed up immediately, looking at her with wide eyes and a deeply shocked, somewhat scared, and totally confused look on his face, eyes quickly turning stern and maybe even hurt, looking at her frail face and dull eyes, the red irises flicking to look away from him.

"Wh-What did you just say?-!" He exclaimed. She bit her pale lip, turning her head away, only to have it gently turned back, eyes still facing away, "N-No, Gemma! N-No! You're going to live you stupid girl! I'm going to find a way to help you and you're gonna damn live! Don't you dare say things like that! _Why_ would you say something so stupid?-!"

"B-Because I _am s-stupid_!" Gemma barked, if it could be called that. Nathen jumped lightly, "I-I'm in-in love w-with a guy I-I can never have! I-I'm a-a target of al-all the people I-I hate no-no matter wh-where I go! I-I a-am h-hated by my charges, in-in my storyverse I-I have n-no one! M-My life is-is worthless, y-you'd b-be better off, an-and the w-world w-would b-be better off, if-if you just l-let me die!" She insisted in a broken voice, sobbing weakly, shaking more in his arms due to the emotion rising agitating the damaged aura.

"Gemma calm do-down! P-Please! I do not want you dead! The w-world would not be better without you god damnit! It'd be worse off! Why can't you see you're not stupid for those things? Y-You're amazing Gemma, you've been through so much and you've fought through to have a mostly decent life, until I ruined it by reminding you of your past and feelings! And before I confronted you and caused _this!_ Please…" Nathen was near tears, he hadn't been so close to crying so many times in so little time before, "Gemma…"

"N-Nathen… I-I get th-that you used to like me… b-but you h-have Alice… y-you love her…"

"B-But… I love you…"

"Th-That doesn't matter… I'm n-not w-worth it… you sh-should just f-focus on h-her…"

"Gemma… I don't care what you say… I'm not leaving you, and you're not going to die… I swear that I won't let you die!"

"N-Nathen…"

"No! I don't want to hear another word on this! I've already cost too many their lives! I won't have your blood on my hands either because I screwed up! You will live! I swear it!"

Gemma was taken aback by Nathen's outburst. While letting it all sink in, she started another coughing fit, hacking up even more of the blood colored mucus before lying back on her bed and passing out.

"Gemma!" Rushing to Gemma's side Nathen quickly looked her over before letting out a sigh as Gemma had once again fallen asleep.

"_Nathen is it true? Did Gemma wake up?_" Karina could be heard talking from the other side of the door.

"Yeah… she did… Everyone, could you please leave for a moment… I need to be left alone and I don't need to be pelted with questions…" Nathen said with a sigh as sunk to his knees in front of Gemma bed. "Please…"

"_Alright Nathen… we'll be at the Pokémon Center…_" Karina said as she and everyone else took their leave.

"_Why… Why would she want to die? Have I really made her life so terrible? Is her life really so bad?_" Nathen muttered quietly to himself.

Over the next several days, things only seemed to get worse. Gemma's condition only worsened, even when it seemed to be improving, it was only a rouse. Hoping to connect to Gemma and possibly wake her up, Nathen tried a variety of things, but he always felt that singing worked best.

"Gemma… I… I think I'm getting close to helping you recover, I just… I wish I could hear you talk to me… and… I hope you've liked the singing, I don't know why but… this song always seems to ring in my head… I guess it fits the feeling the most…" Nathen said calmly trying to force a smile as he pulled an acoustic guitar out and prepped it. "I'm not as good as Alice is at this but… I think I'm pretty good…" As Nathen strummed the guitar, he quickly changed to hitting the appropriate chords for the song.

_White walls surround us  
>No light will touch your face again<br>Rain taps the window  
>As we sleep among the dead <em>

_Days go on forever  
>But I have not left your side<br>We can chase the dark together  
>If you go then so will I <em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye <em>

_Cold light above us  
>Hope fills the heart<br>And fades away  
>Skin white as winter<br>As the sky returns to grey _

_Days go on forever  
>But I have not left your side<br>We can chase the dark together  
>If you go then so will I <em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<br>I keep holding onto you  
>But I can't bring you back to life<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>Then say the last goodbye <em>

_You're dead alive  
>You're dead alive<br>You're dead alive  
>You're dead alive<em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<br>I keep holding onto you  
>But I can't bring you back to life<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<em>

After finishing the song, Nathen put the guitar aside and reached over Gemma lightly kissing her. "Please Gemma… wake up…"

"_Nathen… can I come in?_" Karina asked from hall.

"Yeah… but only you Karina…" Nathen said with a light sigh as Karina walked in.

"How's she doing?" Karina asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"She isn't making any progress to recovering… she has these faint moments but… they're nothing…" Nathen said with a sigh.

"You're doing everything you can to give her a chance…" Karina said softly.

"Yeah… Karina… back when she was last awake… she said she wanted me to let her die…" Nathen said biting his lip.

"Nathen you can't! Gemma can't die!" Karina said quickly jumping to her feet.

"Don't you think I know that? I don't want her to die Karina!" Nathen said snapping. "I can't let her die… I don't want to lose her again…"

"Again…? Did you two know each other before?" Karina asked.

"Yeah… We… We travelled through Monoko together, and… we fell in love with each other…" Nathen said calmly as he carefully took hold of Gemma's hand.

"But… what about Alice?" Karina asked earning a sigh from Nathen.

"I don't know Karina… she's back in our home region… for all I know… she'll find something that'll make her happier… give her a better life… I don't know if we'll still be together in the end of this…"

"You may be breaking up?" Karina asked.

"Possibly… god I'm such an idiot…" Nathen said with a sigh.

"You're not an idiot Nathen," Karina said.

"Yes I am! This is all my fault! I have cause Gemma nothing but trouble in the time she's known me! If anything, I'm the one that deserves to be in that bed slowly dying…" Nathen said with a sigh as he looked out at the rain.

"Nathen don't say that! Gemma wouldn't want that!" Karina said in protest.

"I don't care! I swear if I left she'd instantly get better! I've been nothing but poison to the people I love! All with one simple mistake in my past, I doomed everyone I ever loved or would come to love to a life of pure hell!" Nathen yelled.

"But what about all the good you've done? You're a kind and sweet person, not a poison…" Karina said sweetly.

"Yeah right… everything I've done has always ended up blowing up in my face… Just go away Karina…" Nathen said with a sigh as he sat back down on the chair.

"Alright…" Karina said as she walked over and gave Nathen a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room.

"The moment she's all better… I'm leaving… she'll be better off without me…" Nathen said with a sigh as he rubbed Gemma's head. "Rest well little Rose… I love you…"

Nathen was still sat beside Gem's bed, looking at the ever weakening girl with broken eyes, but a blank face. It had been nearly a month, and he hadn't been able to do anything for her. Her condition had just gotten worse and worse, she looked nearly skeletal now, her skin was paler than anything he had ever seen, her breathing was ragged and weak, and when he opened her eyes for her they were dull and dead. He hadn't been able to wake her since that one time she awakened for a few moments, or ease her pain as she slowly edged closer and closer to death.

He had never felt so weak and helpless.

The young man may have only been reunited with his old friend for a short time, but the old ties and feelings were still strong enough in his returning memories for this incident to render him senseless and distraught. Gem shouldn't be dying; she shouldn't be in danger because of _him_ again. At least when she was away from him she was moderately safe and knew how to look out for herself without her new – or old – emotions disrupting her. She was safer without him. Especially with him dealing out dodgy heals. He'd been scared to use his aura ever since, in case there was simply a fault with him.

If he only knew the real reason for the girl's reaction to his healing.

Nathen's posture straightened as his eyes widened a little as he felt her hand twitch in his, and his eyes registered that her chalky eyelids were straining to open themselves. In a flash he helped her sit up and support herself, one arm around her back and shoulders, the other around her waist at the front, her hands weakly clutching to his forearm, shaking. Her eyes opened slowly, focusing as best they could on him, though it was obvious she was only half seeing him.

"G-Gem…" Nathen's broken voice prompted a frown from the dying girl, and she shook her head at him, trying to kiss his cheek. Nathen was subconsciously surprised at her openness with her feelings now, especially as the kiss on the cheek quickly tried to transfer to his lips. He didn't want to reject her, but he couldn't have her wasting her breath on him so he calmly pushed her away from his face, looking at her. She looked hurt for a moment, before true pain took over as she doubled on herself and let out a rough cough. Nathen panicked again, quickly helping her as best he could, then shifting to sit her on his lap, holding her close to him, stroking her hair and rubbing her side.

Gem curled frailly up against him, quivering, fisting at his shirt and trying to allow herself to enjoy his hold as she always used to, eyes half closed. Nathen kept his eyes constantly on her, scared for her condition, not wanting it to get worse.

"I-I heard… y-you sang for me…" Nathen's eyes focused more on her face as she looked up, confused, "I… h-heard Karina say it… when y-you l-let them… in-into h-here to speak… I-I can… h-hear wh-when I'm unconscious… I-I hear… ev-everything you say…" He tensed; he had been saying some pretty depressive stuff the girl was more used to hearing from her own mouth than his.

"Gemma I…" Nathen said with a stutter as he held Gemma closer.

"Y-You're not a b-burden…" Gemma said weakly.

"Y-Yes I a-am… I-I've caused you n-nothing b-but pain…" Nathen said carefully holding Gemma tighter.

"I-I… I l-love y-you… y-you kn-knucklehead…"Gemma said as clearly as she could before doubling over again in pain.

"I love you too Gemma… I always will…" Nathen said keeping Gemma close to him.

"I-I d-don't kn-know if I c-can… h-hold on m-much longer…" Gemma said softly. Nathen tightened his form even more. He had failed to help his friend…

"P-Please G-Gemma… D-Don't l-leave me…" Nathen said letting a few tears fall.

"N-Nathen…" Gemma whispered softly.

"Y-Yes…?" Nathen said.

"P-Please… s-sing f-for me…"

"Wh-What…?"

"Th-That s-song… that you sang f-for m-me… s-sing it a-again… l-let m-me hear it… _let it be the last thing that I hear…_" Gemma asked holding onto Nathen's shirt for dear life.

"A-Alright…" Nathen said taking a deep breath so that he can clear his voice.

_White walls surround us  
>No light will touch your face again<br>Rain taps the window  
>As we sleep among the dead <em>

_Days go on forever  
>But I have not left your side<br>We can chase the dark together  
>If you go then so will I <em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye <em>

_Cold light above us  
>Hope fills the heart<br>And fades away  
>Skin white as winter<br>As the sky returns to grey _

_Days go on forever  
>But I have not left your side<br>We can chase the dark together  
>If you go then so will I <em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<br>I keep holding onto you  
>But I can't bring you back to life<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>Then say the last goodbye <em>

_You're dead alive  
>You're dead alive<br>You're dead alive  
>You're dead alive<em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<br>I keep holding onto you  
>But I can't bring you back to life<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<em>

"I… I love you Gemma," Nathen said lightly kissing Gemma.

"I-I l-love you t-too N-Nathen…" Gemma said softly as she released her breath and her whole body suddenly went limp in Nathen's arms. She just laid there quiet and lifeless, her eyes closed and a faint smile on her lips.

"…G-Gemma…? …Gemma, p-please… oh god no…" The boy began to shake the lifeless girl, as if she were still merely sleeping and all he had to do was wake her, but this was a deeper sleep than she had ever been in before. Her chest had stopped rising and falling, her eyes were shut and not even twitching, she didn't even look in pain. It was the most peaceful he had seen her in a long time, but part of him was now thinking it would prefer her to be crying out in pain than just laying… laying… dead… in his arms, anything but this, anything.

Shakily he kissed her dead lips just once more, flinching at how cold she was – such a stark contrast to how a kiss with those lips should feel, how warm the girl used to be, warmer than any other he knew – then laying her body down on the bed, positioning her on her side as if she were sleeping, and wrapping her in the blankets the way she always tangled herself in them as a child. Slowly he then stood up, hesitant to leave her, walking toward the door, pushing it open after unlocking the door, shoving his hands in his pockets, walking outside with his eyes dead and focusing only on the floor. Everyone outside in the waiting room jumped at the click of the door, not expecting him to be leaving the room, wondering if it were good news… or… unthinkably… bad news.

"Nathen…?" Karina asked, standing up, stepping closer to him, "What is it…?"

Nathen looked up, his eyes still dead, but tears starting to well up around them, immediately making everyone realize which type of news this was. Karina had to support Nathen as he nearly let himself collapse under the emotional weight of what he'd just gone through during the past month, tears starting to fall as his body began to shake, though sobs refused to break out.

"Nathen… oh god Na-Nathen… come on… no crying now… Nathen…" The princess was near powerless to comfort the young man, falling to her knees and letting Nathen fall with her as a couple of the others gathered around him, including Vahn.

"I-I failed… sh-she… I…" He forced himself into straightening his voice out, to speak normally, not let the tears affect him, "I failed her… she… died in my… arms… I didn't save her, I promised her long ago I would always save her, always keep her safe… and I… I… I _killed_ her!"

"It was a simple mistake…"

"…She… I… need to… call her parents… oh lord Markus is going to fucking slaughter me… ha… then again that might be for the best…"

"Nathen you shut up! Attitudes like that help no one! God damnit don't dishonor the girl's memory by being all aggressive and all 'now I have to die too' shit! She wouldn't want that and you know it! And god I know you wouldn't want her being disappointed in you!" Vahn snapped, shaking his shoulder, giving him a firm glare. Nathen pushed away from Karina, stood up, rubbed his eyes roughly, and then without another word just stormed out of the hospital, off to god knows where to let out the buildup of emotions.

After Nathen's stunt of running out of the Pokémon centre, it had taken the group nearly a whole day to find him, and when they did he was in a right state. They managed to convince him to go back to the hospital, though he refused to go to the Pokémon centre – wanting to be by her body, then managed to calm him enough to make the needed phone calls and other things that had to be done, though several times he had nearly flipped again.

It had taken roughly two days to get through the phone calls that were needed, and soon Nathen was packed ready to head off to Monoko, the sister island of Pokoh, where she had lived before. Before he had gone, Vahn, Karina and the others had all tried to insist that they should come with him, that they should go to her funeral too, that she needed all her friends around her, or as many as they could get. But this was a moment he had flipped, even if just a little. Snapping and insisting they just 'get your asses back on the freaking road', before it was too late for them to get the remaining badges and ribbons that they needed. He'd barely been calmed down, before he stormed onto the boat and was off to the region.

Only a week after the death of the authoress, the funeral had been set up and arranged. Her home town of Budbloom Town was the obvious location, but the turnout was small. She hadn't been there for so long, she had very few friends native to the region… and Nathen had insisted that the rest of the group finally continue on with their journey, as a trip to Monoko could only add more troubles and delays to the journey, which was now cutting it finer and finer with the deadlines everyone had to meet.

But he'd found the important people. After the arduous decisions, debates and the pure guts it took to do it, Nathen had managed to contact her parents and tell them the news, with help of people like Trayton, Vahn and Karina, who had somehow managed to keep him from totally breaking down on camera to the parents as he spoke the words, then took over with details and defence when Markus completely flipped out, Carol burst into tears, and Nathen had a mental breakdown right in front of them both. Vahn and Trayton had to drag him off before he got himself banned from Gemma's funeral for the things he was lashing out with. Karina finished the explanation from there.

Then of course, there were her closest friends. He had alerted everyone back in Scarlet's Road… none of whom he had been able to transport over to the funeral, but they had deserved to know… their reaction had partially shocked him. They, like Trayton, finally showed how much they really cared about the girl and authoress, and almost all of them had started to cry. Nevee was inconsolable, even TJ couldn't cheer the poor girl up, her emotions going into overdrive – when they had finally made her understand that Gemma was never waking up. He later found out from Hotaru and Lucy that many secrets had been revealed during their time reminiscing about Gem… and they were all working together to help each other like Gem normally would of, knowing they had no longer got any help from her. He left it up to them to tell Destiny and Hope… he wasn't going to touch that.

Within this group of close friends, of course came Holly Kamiya. Nathen had somehow found talking to her the easiest… it was more natural and comfortable than talking to Gemma's parents who's reaction he had been unable to truly predict… easier than talking to the group of people who's reactions could easily be harsh from what he knew about them. Holly was a close friend of both of them… and he knew her well enough to know how she would take it. At first, just like with him, denial hit her. She kept trying to tell Nathen that no, he had to be mistaken, she had to be alive and well and just playing some cruel prank. She'd be hiding out somewhere with the intention of coming back and scaring them all. She had to be. But soon after, with Nathen's genuine tears and all the proof he could comfortably present, there had come tears, and lots of them. She broke down and a comforting arm had come from off screen to hold her close and tell her it was going to be okay. Nathen was grateful of that, to whoever it was. That they would comfort his good friend. She had immediately agreed to coming to the funeral to say one last goodbye.

He had contacted other good friends from Monoko, those he could reach. Each time he explained the story, almost every time at least one of the pairs he contacted had defied it, saying that Gemma couldn't be dead and that something like that wouldn't take the persistent and strong little lady down. Some had declined their invite to the funeral due to various regions, but the rest agreed to come, wanting to pay their last respects to the girl they had known on their journey.

Beyond that, Nathen could do little else to make sure she had everyone important to her around her. The day of the funeral had quickly approached, and sooner than it felt it should have been, Nathen found himself dressed fully in black, clutching a chain around his neck, in the old, legend based church in the small starter town. He felt the presence of both the old legends at the front of the church, invisible, but standing on each side of the casket, plenty visible to his senses, the Phoenix seeming to be deeply affected, despite their lack of contact and real connection during the time they had been linked. The griffon focused on him, giving him small nods or shakes of heads at thoughts he had running through his mind, their link still strong.

Nathen knew Gemma would have preferred less ceremony, when she told him about her grandfather's funeral being linked too much to the old legends, about how she wished he had gone out quietly, buried without the church service and just with his family and closest old friends, he knew that she'd want to go out of the world quietly. Just him, her parents, and other friends around. She'd be surprised how many cared. But he had to follow her parents' wishes in this case. The looks Markus had been giving him the whole week… he knew he couldn't cross any lines or he'd end up being banned from seeing her this last time. And he couldn't be denied that. He couldn't lose that last moment. He sent her a mental apology, then looked around.

Holly was sitting beside him, and had touched his shoulder which was what had prompted his glance around. She was also dressed in black, and had her hair in a simple bun, trying to give him a smile, but it coming out as more of a grimace. Nathen's lips didn't even twitch, and Holly sighed, patting his shoulder and then focusing back on the front, nodding at her own legend who had taken his place behind the casket. Nathen glanced around again, spotting a crying Carol a row or two in front of them, with Markus trying to keep her calm. Around the room there were a couple of pairs, including a girl with majestic white wings sprouting from her back, sat next to a boy. She passed a gentle smile over to Nathen and Holly, Nathen not returning it, Holly just about managing. He didn't bother looking around the rest of the room, just about noticing a blonde girl he knew as Brylee, a girl who had been their friend despite the circumstances she was under that she was oblivious to. He didn't notice that other people had just entered.

Time passed, the minister went through the service, Nathen barely paying any attention to what he said, just focusing on the casket, waiting to see her before she was pushed into the ground and buried forever. He waited as everyone else went up, wanting as much time with her as he could before they all gathered outside and she was taken out too. Holly stood up, looking at him, then went to the front. He watched her talk quietly to the body, place something on her like some of the others had, then walk outside to talk with the others. After waiting for a long moment, Nathen stood up and walked to the front, taking each step carefully and slowly, hesitant. He reached the casket, and looked in at her.

Her hair was curled naturally, but it had lost its shine and all the dye had been cleaned out, left as her natural sandy brown, falling around her pale face, seeming peaceful – still as if she were sleeping, albeit eternally. He stroked her cheek, white as snow, dry and cold, but smooth and gentle. Dressed in a long black dress, lace and ribbons, a style she had loved whenever she was brave enough to wear a dress. A single red rose was in her hands, and a white one in her hair. Other items had been placed in with her by the people at the ceremony, and Nathen clutched the items he planned to put in close to him as he looked over the other items, guessing their significance.

He saw a ribbon rested to one side of her head, making a small smile break on his face, it was her first ever ribbon. He knew immediately it had to be her mother to place that there, she had given it to her after their reunion quite recently, along with her other ribbons, for safe keeping. How she had kept them that long anyway, Nathen never quite understood. But they held a special meaning for her.

Besides that, was a badge case. He carefully opened it, finding it filled with all of Monoko's badges. Her second proudest achievement, and undoubtedly that was placed in by her father… though there was another object that shouted out that he had put it there also… an old photo, of what appeared to be a baby Gemma with her toys, an old innocent moment that he no doubt had treasured… he hadn't expected to lose his child at this age. He'd missed a great portion of her life.

He even managed a small laugh when he saw what Holly had placed in the casket. The Pikachu doll that the two had brought her for her twelfth birthday, huddled under one of her arms as if she were sleeping with it. Placed right by that arm, there was also an old photo – a goofy group picture of the three of them, taken with a timer on a camera that had become wonky as it took it. Their expressions were insane, but they all looked happy.

Nathen glanced at the other items only briefly, then gripping the items he planned to leave behind, he leant and kissed her forehead, trying to force himself not to cry again, then gently moving her body so that the Pikachu was cradled properly in one arm, with the rose in that hand, he slipped a small toy into her other arm, making sure it was held close to her heart. An Embolf, her most treasured toy and present from him. He knew she'd want it with her. He then slipped a chain around her neck, the pendant half of a flame, with 'Nathen' inscribed on the front, with paw prints around it, with all sorts of little detailing. He clutched tighter at the chain around his neck – the other half of the flame, with Gemma's name and paw prints on it, the prints distinctly smaller but greater in number. She had given the half he had placed around her neck to him on his fifteenth birthday, and kept the other half… to keep them linked, as if they weren't already.

"Gemma… I… I'm so sorry… this is… all… my fault… you shouldn't be here… you should be alive and happy, somewhere safe and away from me…" He took her hand gently, sniffling, "I know you'd disagree, I can almost hear you saying it… 'The best place for me is by your side, I'm safest there'… I don't often tell you you're wrong, but every time you've said that, I've known it's not the truth… This is… just proof of that…" The author held back a sob, "At least… wherever you are… you'll be safe forever, and happy… your Embolf, he'll be there… your deceased family members… M-Maylu… you'll be happy…"

_It wasn't your fault… and all I want to be happy is to be there with you…_

Nathen heard what sounded like her voice, but knowing it was impossible, he dismissed it as his imagination and just continued to watch the body of the girl as he spoke on and on about things, as if she could hear, ignoring any illusions of responses, stroking her hand and kissing her forehead occasionally.

He lost track of time, continuing to speak as if having a casual conversation with her, starting to acknowledge the impossible responses, just to keep his one sided conversation flowing.

"I… Ha… You have no idea how tempting it has been the past few week to join you… just end it all and come to see you in heaven, if I even make it to heaven after all I've done… I just… I can't take it, knowing that I caused my best friend's death… the death of a girl I love deeply… I've only got through this long because of Vahn, Karina, Trayton, Amber and the others… They're in charge of alerting the others… I… can't tell anyone else… gathering our friends to come and see you off was hard enough…" A tear fell and splashed on the girl's cold hand, too cold. He missed her warmth… her unnatural heat, "I should be the one lying there… I should be the cold body about to be buried… I just… wish I had a way to bring you back… wish that… I… I could go back… before all this… save you before all this could ever happen, make it so we never got split, make it so we could live our lives happily together, not apart without even knowing of the other's existence for so long… I wish… I wish that by now… we'd journeyed through nearly all the regions… we'd achieved our dreams, brought Existence down, and were getting ready for a final journey or two before stopping and settling somewhere… But that's never going to happen… I should… never have let you run off alone… I… I should… I should have just hurried up and told you I loved you so you knew that we could get through everything together and that you didn't have to prove anything to me and that we could get through it all and that you were never going to be alone!" He burst into tears again, gripping her hand tightly and letting his tears fall freely, shoulders beginning to shake and sobs breaking out. He heard a whisper of his name from the impossible voice, and the start of a word, before he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Holly right behind him.

The girl must have heard some of what he said, because she looked on the edge of crying too, and quickly gave her old friend a tight hug. For a moment he stood stunned with tears falling silently, before bursting into sobs once again and hugging the girl back just as tight, sobbing against her shoulder, knowing that she was the one that he could truly get the emotions he had running through his mind about this. He had once confided in her about all he felt for the dead girl, when she had still been alive and happy, and she was the only other one who truly understood the girl to the extent that he did.

"It'll be okay… it'll… all work out fine…"

_(Outside – After the burial)_

"Boy. You've stayed long enough now, the funeral is over, that's the duration you were allowed to stay. Go now," Markus said, giving Nathen a hard glare over the grave, stood on opposite sides. Nathen barely looked at him, focused more on the gravestone, engraved with her face and with words to express how she was missed.

"Markus, please don't be like that too him. Nathen didn't mean for this to happen… she meant a lot to him too…" Holly said, touching her friend's shoulder and looking over at Markus, "Look… give him time by her grave alone… we have to get from here to the after bit anyway… you can ban him from that, but not from seeing her grave… that's just not fair…"

"…Fine. But if that little fucker comes anywhere near me from now on…" Markus growled lightly and walked off with Carol and some of the others, most of whom gave Nathen sympathetic looks. Holly stayed longest, looking at the gravestone, then at the now tearless Nathen. She was pretty sure he wanted to cry, but just didn't have enough tears left anymore after so long. She touched his shoulder once more.

"He doesn't mean it… he's just upset…"

"No, he means it…" Nathen said bluntly, sighing and shaking his head, "He blames me completely. Hates me. Well… I don't give a shit, if he doesn't trust me… then fuck him…"

"Nathen…"

"I want to be alone…"

"Alright… call if you need anything…"

"Will do…"

Silently Holly wandered off, and Nathen stood at the foot of the covered grave, looking with dead eyes at the stone at the head of it. After a moment, he just collapsed to his knees and burst into dry sobs, body shaking and aura unstable from the overflow of emotion.

He'd end up sleeping beside that grave.

_(Nathen's Dreams)_

"All that stuff you're thinking of… don't even keep thinking about them, you stupid knucklehead!" That voice… no way. Nathen's dream eyes focused, but didn't immediately see anyone in front of him. Thinking even his dreams had now turned insane, he sighed, but then feeling a jab in his chest and hearing a sigh, he glanced just below his eye line and saw the source of the voice, Gemma.

"N-No way…"

"Hey Nate…" After her initial confidence the girl became quickly shy and nervous, looking up at him through glancing up with her head tilted downwards a little bit, hands clasped over the top of the skirt of her white dress. A subconscious smile formed on Nathen's face. He knew she'd be in Heaven.

"H-How… can… c-can you be…"

"You of all people should know there's some form of life after death… my aura… you called it a Mirage Aura once… it outlasts other auras after death. That's my form of life after death. My energy lives on… I can talk to you…" She looked shyly down at the floor, brushing one foot across the floor. Nathen's arms wrapped tightly around her in a sudden movement; not showing any signs of ever letting go. Gemma hugged back tightly, and this time she began to cry against him, clutching at his clothing, "N-Nathen… some of the things I-I've heard you say and think since I passed… they scare me!"

"Gemma… I know for a fact, all the thoughts I have had would have gone through yours if it were the opposite…" Nathen said, looking her in the eye, hoping she would skip the subject. He didn't want to be convinced out of it. He wanted to join her.

"So?-! That doesn't make it right, Nathen! K-K… K-Killing yourself… it's n-not right! It's not! Y-You have so much more t-to your life… pl-please Nathen… d-don't kill yourself over me…" She looked up with him, her eyes having returned back to the nearly white grey they had been when she was a child, adding to the look of heaven about her. Nathen looked away from her, biting his lip.

"I… I… I-I just… I-I can't t-take it kn-knowing I-I killed you Gemma… I-I just can't… I-I need to… t-to…"

"To what?-! K-Killing yourself s-solves nothing! Oh god N-Nate why do you have t-to b-blame yourself s-so much…? It r-really wasn't your fault…" She leant up and pressed her now warmed lips to his, arms around his shoulders, then pulling back and looking at him with tears in her eyes again, lower lip starting to shake. Nathen tried to look away from her, tearing up too.

"G-God please don't cry…"

"P-Promise me you w-won't kill yourself!"

"G-Gemma… I-I… I-I need to… I-I need to…"!

"Wh-What about Alice?-! A-About M-May?-! Y-Your parents?-! Everyone else in the world who looks up to you?-! G-God dammit Nathen, you dying would do no good! A-And… if you did… I-I would never, ever, ever forgive you! I-I… I…" Nathen's eyes widened as she said this, holding her tighter and looking her in the eye, shaking his head.

"Gemma please…! You can't say that… I… I…"

"Don't give me the 'I love you' bullshit Nathen! You have other people to live for! You didn't even remember I existed 'til around two months ago, you had a life without me, you can continue without me now! I'll… always be here… okay? I'll always be here to talk to… and I'll always be in your heart, right?"

"Always…"

"Exactly," Her lips stole another soft kiss, and Nathen held her tighter, now allowing her to pull away this time, holding it and deepening it, kissing her like neither of them had felt with the other before, her feet lifting from the pure white floor, arms tightening to keep her in place. After a long, long moment, Nathen pulled his lips away from hers, resting his forehead on hers, "Nathen. Don't do anything stupid. Or I really will never forgive you. Take your time to get used to people again, whatever you want, just do not kill yourself. Anything but harming yourself in any way, okay? I'll always be here for you, I'll always be in your heart, and you'll always be in my unbeating one, okay?"

"…A-Al… A-Alright…"

"I love you. I love you so damn much. Just tell me the same one more time, for now. Call on me whenever you need to, I'll be here. But tell me again."

"I love you. I love you more than you can ever believe, or are willing to ever believe… I… if you want me to, I'll live only for that, for you… I promise…"

"Thank you, Nathen, thank you… Goodbye for now…" She kissed him softly one more time, and then the dream faded away…

_(Graveyard)_

…and he woke up by the grave, sitting up slowly and looking around. It had begun to rain again, and Nathen was already drenched, so the tears that feel from his eyes as he looked at the stone over the grave were hidden. He gripped his chain, sobbed softly, and bit his lip, shaking.

"G-Gemma…" He sobbed, feeling a soft touch around his waist and a nuzzle in his back, a small smile breaking out on his face before he sobbed hard again, shaking and shivering.

"_Once more… sing for me…_" A voice whispered over the winds

"Alright…" Nathen whispered softly as he looked to the sky.

_White walls surround us  
>No light will touch your face again<br>Rain taps the window  
>As we sleep among the dead <em>

_Days go on forever  
>But I have not left your side<br>We can chase the dark together  
>If you go then so will I <em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye <em>

_Cold light above us  
>Hope fills the heart<br>And fades away  
>Skin white as winter<br>As the sky returns to grey _

_Days go on forever  
>But I have not left your side<br>We can chase the dark together  
>If you go then so will I <em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<br>I keep holding onto you  
>But I can't bring you back to life<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>Then say the last goodbye <em>

_You're dead alive  
>You're dead alive<br>You're dead alive  
>You're dead alive<em>

_There is nothing left of you  
>I can see it in your eyes<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<br>I keep holding onto you  
>But I can't bring you back to life<br>Sing the anthem of the angels  
>And say the last goodbye<em>

_**The party of Auracian Legacy and the original Legacy series has suffered a tragic loss. With the depart of the young Authoress, everyone continued on with a heavy heart and their feelings for Gemma pushing them on as she would've done by routing them on. All had taken a massive hit, but none more so than Nathen, who had pretty much gone off on his own leaving the group all together after receiving one last visit from his closest friend. In all he pretty much disappeared off the map of the world not to be found.**_

_**Final Heir: I think we did pretty well with this**_

_**Torchix: yup**_

_**Final Heir: Anyway, we hope you all enjoyed this, but there's a bonus, for those who read Auracian Legacy, once I've reach the point in the story where this point fits, I'll be releasing it as an update, but with an extra twist, so be patient with me and the story, I'm sorry for taking so long with the updates.**_

_**Torchix: Until next time!**_


End file.
